


not your kitten

by kaiohtic



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Cat/Human Hybrids, F/M, Fem!Sehun, Kitty!Sehun, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 11:27:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11943207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaiohtic/pseuds/kaiohtic
Summary: jongin loves sehee, but it seems like the feisty hybrid doesn't want to be his kitten.





	not your kitten

**Author's Note:**

  * For [junxouji](https://archiveofourown.org/users/junxouji/gifts).



> happy bday jun <3 you mentioned wanting a kitty!girl!sehun once, so here it is? tho it's probably not what you've expected OTL. rushed writing and unbetaed, so pls bear with it? i'm sorry for failing you ;u;
> 
>  **warnings:** fem!sehun, mentions of social issues (hierarchies, racism, sexual abuse, human/hybrid trafficking)

"Good morning, Sehee, long time no see," Jongin greets, a grin spreading onto his face. It gets brighter with the scowl he sees on the female's face. Sehee has always been easily irritable in the mornings, but as much as scowls look scary on most people, Sehee just looks adorable with the way her cat ears perk up, the corners of her lips pulled down and the tips of her canines showing. It's not intimidating at all, it’s cute in Jongin’s eyes.  
  
"We just saw each other last night after my shift at the ice cream parlor," she hisses and swats away the hand he reaches out to take her bag. It was worth a try, he thinks, not minding her hostile behavior. It's his own fault for teasing her so much, though she should be grateful for his gentlemanly ways, always offering his services. Okay, maybe he's not  _that_  much of a gentleman as he only has his eyes for Sehee, helping her out whenever he can, but often ignoring other females. He only ever does the shining knight in white armor act for his crush, but sadly, Sehee has always been independent and full of doubt. He doesn't blame her, though he wishes that she would treat him differently, after all, they have a history.  
  
Jongin knows that it's not easy living as a cat hybrid. Despite their more human than feline appearance and the laws protecting them from abuse, they were still regarded as lower than humans. They’re underprivileged. Law and order might be one thing, but social hierarchy and norms are the other. If people can't get rid of discrimination against females, sexual orientations or races even now, then how can one expect hybrids to be seen as equals when they were first created to be pets and toys?  
  
While by law all hybrids are individuals with personal rights to decide for themselves now – that law became effective only five years ago – it is still common practice to buy and own hybrids as if they were pets. There are large companies still breeding and training them, and those growing up, raised and educated to be companions and servants – more like slaves, Jongin would like to think – would never think of fighting for their rights like Sehee does. If asked if they agree to their lifestyle, they would reply with a clear  _yes_ , making it seem like their own, conscious decision although it has been brainwashed into them.  
  
Sehee is not one of those brainwashed, docile kitties though. She is fiery and stubborn, but that is her charming point. It's what has drawn Jongin towards her, it's what has made him head over heels for her. Admittedly, at first, he just liked her pretty face. Sehee is one of the prettiest creatures walking on earth, and Jongin is thankful for being able to grow up right beside her.  
  
Jongin's parents are rich, and for families of their social standing it was only befitting to have servants and pets. But exotic pets have gotten boring and instead, in Jongin's grandfather's and his father's generations, they have been raising hybrids as pets instead, mostly to entertain and satisfy sexual needs. When Jongin thinks about how it's still the same today, he feels sick to the core and angry – because that could have been Sehee's fate as well if she didn't happen to be born into the Kim's household.  
  
Sehee's mother had been taken in when she was a teenager. Jongin's father didn't plan on following the trend and keeping a hybrid pet, feeling that it was odd to have a humanlike creature be a pet in their house. Looking at hybrids, they are still primarily human with fluffy cat ears and tail, their physical strength and senses enhanced, compared to humans. Jongin, too, feels the same way his father does about hybrids, he regards them as human, not as animal.  
  
That’s why Jongin’s father saved Sehee’s mother when he saw her being chased down the streets, furious men running after and calling her names. Mr. Kim felt sorry for her and brought her to his house, letting personal doctor tend to her wounds. The doctor had found out that she was in an early stage of pregnancy, too, and so she was offered to work in the mansion for the streets were too dangerous for a hybrid on her own.  
  
At least, that’s how the story goes. Jongin doesn't remember when, why or how Sehee’s mother joined their staff. He was only three years old when Sehee's mother joined their household and when Sehee was born, he was four.  
  
What Jongin remembers though, is that they were playmates when young, Sehee being almost like a little sister to him, until she started elementary school. She had been the only hybrid in her class back then and it must have been so difficult for her to fit in. Boys kept pulling at her tail and hair, girls kept making fun of her and calling her names, crude words falling from children’s lips. And Jongin only found out one afternoon he insisted on picking her up with his nanny instead of waiting in the car. He had seen her being bullied by a group of kids and fuming, Jongin had joined the crowd and fought with them. It took three teachers to separate the children and Jongin had demanded his father to not send her to school ever again. Because hybrids just don’t belong in a school full of vile human kids.  
  
Despite Jongin’s begging, Mr. Kim continued sending her to school, insisting that Sehee should get the same education as human children. It was an unthinkable thing to the rest of the world, but being the chairman to a huge conglomerate had its perk. Sehee continued going to the same private schools Jongin had been attending, and she got extra lessons in martial arts to defend herself. That was the best Mr. Kim could do to protect her, and Jongin is thankful for it now. It allowed Sehee to grow strong and confident, both physically and mentally. She is a gorgeous woman now, more woman than kitty in Jongin's eyes, and he's in love.  
  
Now, Sehee's views on social issues can come off as extreme and some might find that to be a turn-off, but Jongin just loves the confidence in her eyes and the way she stands with poise, her voice firm, her words sharp, but in a refined way. She is a good speaker and so Jongin has no doubt that she will be able to turn her dreams into reality and become a lawyer, specializing on hybrid rights.  
  
Sehee can take good care of herself, that Jongin is sure of. Nonetheless, he can't help but worry about her more. As Sehee grew up, she distanced herself more from the Kim household. Jongin might have been best friends with her during her kindergarten and elementary school days, but once she hit puberty, she closed herself off, and at the age of sixteen, she asked to move out and cut all ties with the Kim family, insisting on supporting herself.  
  
Jongin spent days trying to persuade Sehee to come back, but she never listened, and begging his father to bring her back was useless, too. Mr. Kim told him to let her make her own decisions, and so Sehee had been staying in a one room apartment in some shady quarter of the town, the rent paid by her mother and a part-time job that Jongin had helped her to find since she refused his monetary support. Sehee is self-reliant and proud, and that makes her incredibly attractive in Jongin's eyes, her gorgeous looks left aside.  
  
It's also her proud personality that makes her seem ungrateful when Jongin is being nice to her and concerned about her safety, but he doesn't mind. He is whipped at this point, preferring to stay next to a pissed Sehee, rather than to be separated from her. That's why he keeps watching over her, insisting on walking her home at night. Because once she stopped living with the Kim's, she was not regarded as their pet anymore. Now she looks like free meat to all those gross men and women looking for a living toy. It's not like human traffickers stop because of laws, so those kidnapping and selling hybrids won't stop either.  
  
"Let me carry your books for you," Jongin says and laughs when Sehee shoots him another glare for still not leaving her alone. To other people it might look like she hates him, but he's sure that she doesn't. She is just a tiny bit difficult like some cats are, not liking affection to be poured on them, but actively seeking for love when they need it. Jongin is still waiting for the day Sehee comes to him with outstretched arms, demanding cuddles and pets like she used to when they were both little kids.  
  
"Your classes are not in the law department, but the business department," Sehee says and frowns. "You have to go to the opposite direction."  
  
"It's fine, I don't mind the extra exercise," Jongin says and chuckles. Sehee doesn't hand over her bag, but that doesn't deter Jongin from following her to make sure that she arrives at her class safely. He runs to his own class after that, thanking the gods in heaven that Sehee is enrolled in the same university. It makes it easier to keep a close watch on her and protect her from afar, even when she claims not to need that.  
  
  
  
  
  
It's not the first time for Jongin to witness such a scene, but seeing Sehee fighting three men simultanously does scare him. Jongin is about to rush in and back her up when a kick sends one of the masked men flying into one of the others. Sehee cracks her knuckles and with the dim moonlight shining down and illuminating her blond hair, cat eyes gleaming in the dark and that smirk on her face, she looks frightening.  
  
Jongin holds his breath when the two men get up once more, slowly approaching Sehee who gets herself ready to attack. Her posture is wonderful, and Jongin admires for a moment, before he remembers that it's not the time to do that. She is in danger, because three men fighting her at the same time could easily overwhelm someone like her, not because she's female, but because it's three men versed in fist fights. Those people from the underground are all fighters, some more, some less skilled, but they all know how to put up a fight. And watching them circling Sehee, Jongin wonders what he can do now to help her. Where is his bodyguard at times like this?  
  
Just as he thinks about calling the police, there are sirens going off afar, the sound drawing closer. The three masked men start running, not wanting to be caught by the police. Yifan is by his side now, a grin on his face as he waves his phone around, the sound of horns coming from the speakers, and Jongin considers punching his bodyguard for looking so smug, but Sehee is by his side within seconds and hissing at him, effectively drawing his attention.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She asks and Jongin interprets it as worry. After all, it's late night and Jongin isn't supposed to be around this part of town. He is supposed to be at home, but following his gut feeling, he came here to check up on Sehee instead.  
  
"Asking you to come back home?" He says. He knows what she will reply, but it doesn't hurt to ask, right? Maybe she has changed her mind after dealing with countless attempts at kidnapping her. Sehee can't seriously be okay with living in danger like this, right?  
  
"It's not my home anymore," Sehee sighs softly. "Stop asking."  
  
"But your mother is still living with us," Jongin counters. He knows that that is her weak point, but so far, she never faltered, she never gave in. And this time, too, she doesn't.  
  
"Kids grow up at some point," the hybrid says quietly. "And not all kids live with their parents forever. I have my own life now and I'm happy with the way it is."  
  
But is she really? Jongin is not convinced of that, mostly, because he hates the thought of Sehee easily disappearing without a trace. She could be caught on her way to university, in the early morning hours when she leaves the house. She could be captured at night on the days she goes home alone because Jongin is too busy with group projects or other schedules to accompany her. Sehee is strong because of her feline traits, but agility and better than average muscle power only does that much. She won't be able to fight those bad guys off with simply that, not when she has to fight an overwhelmingly big number of them.  
  
"Then how about wearing a collar? I brought one with me," Jongin says and searches through his backpack, but Sehee's words make him halt.  
  
"What for? So you can brag in front of people, saying you finally made me, Sehee, infamous for her pride and independency, yours? I don't want to be owned, Jongin, so please stop suggesting this."  
  
"It's for your safety," Jongin reasons, voice turning quieter the more intensely Sehee stares. "If they see you're Kim Jongin's, then no one would dare laying a finger on you."  
  
"You told me countless times, Jongin," Sehee sighs. "But my answer will stay the same. I do not want anyone to own me. Now please, would you let me go home? It's late and I need to get up early for classes, and so do you."  
  
  
  
  
  
It's not the first time Jongin has been told off by Sehee, and although it hurts a bit every time, he can't stop caring about her. Maybe he's a masochist, but knowing that she's safe puts him at ease, so partly, he's doing it for his own sanity, too.  
  
He might come off as a stalker, but he's not  _that_  bad. At least, he's not trying to drag her off against her own will, nor does he force himself upon her. He just watches from afar, like a guardian angel would, except, he is mortal and his strength can probably not even match up with Sehee's. But that doesn't mean he has no ways of helping her.  
  
It's after the semester end party organized by their university that Sehee needs his help again. Jongin has attended the party with his friends but kept his eyes on Sehee most of the time. Watching her smile and dance in her own group of friends made him happy for her. Here, at university, Sehee finally seems to fit in. There are students sharing the same mindset, fighting for justice – why else would they study law? – and those are Sehee's greatest friends. Usually, they watch over Sehee the same way Jongin does, but tonight it seems like they all found themselves a partner. He sees Luhua dancing with a guy he's never seen before, and Yixing, too, is busy talking to some girl by the bar. Sehee makes her round and talks to all her friends for a short while. Jongin can only guess by Sehee's gestures and expressions that she is telling her friends to have fun and that she's okay on her own, so he, too, hurries to get up and follow her outside, one hand fumbling with his phone and pressing the emergency button to call his bodyguard.  
  
He's feeling a bit unsettled about this, and his instinct proves to be right again. He watches Sehee rounding the corner and hears muffled noises, so he dashes forward, not surprised that Yifan beats him to it. His bodyguard knows about his feelings for Sehee and her situation, and he most likely must have seen Sehee walking out of the party location while standing guard and waiting for Jongin.  
  
"Ganging up on a defenseless woman, huh?" He hears Yifan say. Jongin slowly walks closer, peeking around the corner where he sees Sehee being held captive by one of three men, a knife held to her bare throat while Yifan is facing the two. They're all masked, like the ones on the other day, but Jongin isn't too sure if they're the same people.  
  
"This kitten is not a defenseless woman," one of the men speaks up. "It's a kitty with claws and fangs."  
  
Jongin fumes at those words, more so about the pronoun  _it_ , than the word kitty. It's degrading her, a female with so much life and personality inside a petite figure. They are not recognizing her value, reducing her to what they see on the outside only, the same way they do to other hybrids. It's no surprise that Sehee dislikes humanity just as much as she wants for humans and hybrids to be able to coexist peacefully.  
  
"Right, I'm not a defenseless woman," Sehee says through gritted teeth. Within the blink of an eye, she has grabbed her assaulter by the wrist. Her grip must hurt a lot, judging by the pained screech and the assaulter’s inability to keep a hold of his weapon, but Jongin does not feel sorry for him. He does, however, feel enraged when said man punches Sehee in the stomach, using his free hand. The female stumbles back, but keeps her posture up. Even in her tipsy state she is ready to fight.  
  
The attacker is not going down easily though. Somehow, he found himself more weapons, holding a knife in each hand now, and that has Jongin worried. What if these people are going to kill her if she doesn't tag along? Normally, they wouldn’t harm a hybrid in a way that would leave scars since that would lessen their prey’s value, but if they are too enraged, uncaring about the outcome, then Sehee is in danger. Yifan is too busy fighting the other two to shield Sehee, so Jongin does the only thing he can think of.  
  
"This is Seoul Police, drop your weapons and hands up or we'll shoot!" He yells, his phone playing the sound of horns. Jongin must be lucky for those gangsters let go of Sehee and Yifan and run without looking back.  
  
"Are you okay?" Jongin asks and approaches Sehee who stares at him quietly for a long while before she nods. She is holding her arm though, and Jongin quickly realizes that there is blood trickling down. Yifan is by their side instantly, already taking off his dress shirt for a makeshift compress.  
  
"Let's go home so we can clean that up," Jongin murmurs and this time he doesn't let go of Sehee's hand despite her protests. He drags her home to the Kim's villa with the help of his bodyguard.  
  
  
  
  
  
As expected, Sehee fights him when he tries to tuck her into bed. After cleaning up and tending to her wound, she insisted on going home, but Jongin won't let her. They wrestle on the bed for a while, until Sehee scratches his arm. It's accidental, but painful nonetheless, and Sehee stops in her motions to examine his arm.  
  
"Sorry," she mumbles ruefully, finally calm.  
  
"Just stay for the night if you feel sorry," Jongin says and flicks her forehead, a little smile on his face. He doesn't want her to worry too much. It's just a scratch, nothing compared to her injury, caused by a knife.  
  
"We'll talk tomorrow, okay?" He asks and only gets up after Sehee gives him a curt nod. He leaves the door unlocked, knowing better than to cage her in. If Sehee wishes, she can sneak out anytime, but he believes that she will keep to her words.  
  
  
  
  
  
The next morning, Jongin personally walks down to the kitchen to get breakfast. Usually, one of their servants would bring breakfast straight to his bedroom, but on this morning, he is carrying a tray with breakfast for two, balancing it up to the room where Sehee is staying in. Yifan is following him and opens the door, closing it right after, and stays outside to give Sehee and Jongin some privacy.  
  
"I brought breakfast," Jongin announces, not surprised that Sehee is already awake. When they were still living together, Sehee would wake up first, too, always buzzing with energy and liveliness, not quite matching the image of lazy cats who love comfort more than anything. It’s one of the things that made Jongin notice how much more human than cat-like Sehee is, although there is no denial that she does share some traits with felines.  
  
"Dig in," Jongin says and gestures to the plates. It's Sehee's favorite - pancakes with strawberry jam, a cup of warm milk with honey filled to the brim right next to it.  
  
They eat quietly, not talking at all. Sehee doesn't meet his eyes, but Jongin watches her as he eats, his appetite small when he thinks of what could have happened to her if he wasn't around, always watching, always trying to protect. It's scary to think of waking up one day and not being able to see her anymore. There are so many things that could happen to her once she was caught and who knows how long it would take for Jongin to find her? What cruel things could happen to a feline hybrid as pretty as her when being hold captive?  
  
"Your food is turning cold," Sehee says quietly. On any other day Jongin would joke and continue eating, but on this morning, he just pushes his plate aside. He's at his limits, and Sehee should know that, too.  
  
"I'm not hungry anymore," Jongin says and watches Sehee mimicking him, her head tilted up, eyes looking straight into his after she has pushed away what's left of her breakfast, too.  
  
"Let's talk then," she says, arms defensively crossed in front of her chest, and Jongin thinks he can read her mind. She knows that he will request the same thing again and again, but what she doesn't know is that there is a plan B that he has thought of last night, something that he should have suggested earlier. She might be living with him now if he asked her, at least that’s what he would like to believe.  
  
Jongin pulls out a choker from his pocket and puts it on the table, the same one he is always carrying just in case Sehee changes her mind. She will most likely never do that, but there's still the hope that she would accept one day.  
  
"Please wear this," Jongin murmurs, but by the way Sehee is staring at the expensive neckband he can tell that she will refuse this time as well.  
  
"No," comes her reply, short but decisive. "You know my reasons."  
  
"And you know mine," Jongin says, calmly explaining his thoughts once more. "It's not to claim ownership. You are free to do whatever you like. I just feel better knowing that people are less likely going to touch you, seeing that you belong to the Kim household. And no one wants to mess with a family as powerful as mine."  
  
"I don't see why you should care," Sehee mumbles and turns her face to a side, signaling that she is not willing to argue anymore, but Jongin still has an ace up his sleeve. Or well, maybe not an ace, since he can’t be too sure what her answer is, but he has another option for her to choose.  
  
"Because I like you, Sehee. I love you. I want to see you safe and living comfortably."  
  
There, it's out in the open. Jongin doesn't think he would have to explicitly say these words because his actions must have been enough. Why else would he keep his eyes on her all the time, never hanging out with other girls, always staying far away from those who flirt with him? It's been going on like this for years, so Sehee should know that he is just as persistent as she is stubborn. He won't let go of her because he has chosen her a long time ago.  
  
"That's not a good enough reason," Sehee says quietly, still staring out of the window. "I can't go against everything I've been working for. I want hybrids to be able to walk down the streets and feeling safe 24/7. I want to change society, and a neckband won't help. I can't hide behind that when my peers do not have someone who offers them the same thing."  
  
Jongin smiles. Sehee's noble personality is one thing he admires, but at the same time it's a problem, too. It makes her refuse safety and shelter, and many more things that he wants to give her, things that he things she deserves, more than anyone else.  
  
"Then what about a ring?" He asks, pulling out a small box from the other pocket of his pants. "What if it's a ring on your finger, symbolizing mutual belonging, a relationship?"  
  
Sehee turns back to him, her eyes wide. "Are you out of your mind?" She whisper-yells, probably scared that someone might hear them. "Hybrids and humans are not allowed to... to have a romantic relationship. It could lead to more, to something that... something that is frowned upon."  
  
"But if the law was changed, if you could marry me, would you? Do you love me, Sehee? Will you let me love you properly, like a man loves a woman, regardless of our races?"  
  
Jongin watches Sehee's face carefully, his heart pounding loud and hard against his ribcage. He doesn't know what to expect since this is a gamble. He has never been too sure about how Sehee feels about him. She has always tolerated his presence, but that does not necessarily mean that she likes him more than others, right? But Jongin needs to know if all his efforts are in vain, if he should stop following her like a lovelorn pup.  
  
"I need your answer, Sehee. If there was no laws and regulations, if it's solely up to your feelings, then would you consider becoming my girlfriend and, in the future, my wife?"  
  
Sehee takes a deep breath, eyes closed. Jongin waits for her to respond, expecting her voice to be shaky, but it is surprisingly loud and clear, her eyes shiny, when she flutters them open.  
  
"If this is how you think you can propose to me, then you’re absolutely wrong. Do it again properly, after we’ve been dating for a while."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Sehee mumbles, squirming when Jongin has put an arm around her waist. There are questioning looks from everywhere as they take a seat in the middle of the university’s cafeteria. For one, Yifan in his black suit and sunglasses draws attention to them, and two, both Sehee and Jongin are infamous at their school, one for being a rich heir and sought after bachelor, the other for being one of the prettiest and feistiest females on campus. But what must be the weirdest thing to see would be Jongin pulling Sehee to sit on his lap, a thing no one would dare to. Sexually harassing Sehee can very well end with dislocated joints or cracked bones  
  
“So... is she your kitten now?” One of Jongin’s friends asks, and Sehee sends him a glare, shutting him up completely. The poor boy is cowering and Jongin feels pity so he pulls Sehee closer against his body, face tilted down and teeth slightly grazing her nape. Like cats, feline hybrids calm down instantly when being touched there. It’s one thing Jongin has discovered the other day when they were having a tickle fight, and in moments like these, when he needs to tame her temper, he makes use of that knowledge.  
  
“Not my kitten,” Jongin says, loud enough for everyone to hear as he continues nipping at her skin, drawing sweet little purrs from her. “She’s my girlfriend and future wife.”


End file.
